Gigi And Bella On Boys, Sisterhood And Posing Naked For Vogue

In the March issue of Vogue, features director Giles Hattersley profiles the most famous sister act the world: Gigi and Bella Hadid. In a digital exclusive, here are the transcripts of their afternoon together in a New York photo studio. The sisters had already shot their dual covers – and headline-grabbing nude portrait - for the March fashion special the previous month, but had reconvened for the day to take part in a clay sculpting challenge for a Vogue video. Outside a thick snowstorm had enveloped Manhattan, as Bella headed off for her moment in front of the camera, while Gigi first flopped down on a sofa in a quiet corner to talk family, career, sisterhood, nudity and Zayn.

Gigi And Bella Cover March Vogue

Gigi And Bella Hadid Take The Sculpture Challenge

Vogue Challenges

02 Feb 2018

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First up, can we please talk about these incredible new covers of yours…

Gigi: Well, I love working with Steven [Meisel]. It’s obviously still a dream come true every time. It’s very surreal to be in his presence and work with geniuses, he’s just amazing so I still feel very honoured to work with him and to call him my friend.

Then, of course, there’s the extraordinary naked image. Why did you decide to take the plunge for Vogue?

Gigi: I think for me personally when I choose to go nude, I do it when I feel like it’s for the art and for something that is meaningful and for someone who I really respect. And Steven is that person for me. To do it with my sister kind of to me resembles pictures of us as little kids – but the Meisel version! [Laughs]. It felt like a moment.

What do the rest of your family think of it?

Gigi: I think my mom’s gonna… [she mimes a head exploding]. My mum was our photographer our whole life, and our stylist, and our beauty editor, so we always were in front of the camera. I think when she sees that picture we’ll have to print it big for the house because [she] will really be touched by it.

You and Bella have always been especially close, haven’t you?

Gigi: [As a toddler] I was always flipping trash cans or something, so I could stand up and get up high enough to look into her crib and check on her. All I do my entire life – the purpose – is just to watch over Bella. I’m gonna start getting emotional… [she starts fanning her face]. She’s one of the only people that I’ll get aggressive for… [she starts crying] Sorry! I didn’t mean to do this. She makes me so proud and I would do anything for her.

What were you like together as kids?

Gigi: We were good girls. [Growing up in California] Bella definitely was the more rebellious. We’re different, but we’re also the same in a lot of ways. We’re both creative, we love riding horses, we love being outdoors and we're spiritual - we have the same values of kindness and passion. That’s why I connect with her as an adult. I think the most we ever fought was like in middle school if she would steal my clothes out of my closet. You know, now she sleeps at my apartment during the week and she can wear whatever she wants. She’s definitely stolen more out of my closet than me out of hers.

Where does this Hadid work ethic come from? You’re a great believer in the positive impact of being the daughter of immigrants, right?

Gigi: Yeah. My mum [Yolanda] was a farm girl from Holland who started modelling and sending money back from New York. And my dad [Mohammed, a property developer of Palestinian origin] has an amazing story. They built what we were given in our childhood from nothing, so we work hard and be kind to honour our parents. I hope that others can see that we’re good people and can’t just judge because [we] come from privilege. I support every young model from wherever they came from. I would never put myself over any of those girls, nor do I feel like my success takes the place of anyone else’s success. I hope that we can all get the job that makes sense for us.

Not since Suzy Parker and Dorian Leigh in the 1950s has there been a pair of supermodel sisters as successful as you two. So that’s pretty mega.

Gigi: [Laughing] It’s really fun for us, for sure. To see your sister when you look across the room is just amazing, it’s something that is very rare.

Do you feel like you’ve finally transcended the "social media model" tag?

Gigi: [Happily] Yeah. It was interesting because we were named the social media models, but that started to grow and feel more forced by the industry, I felt like I backed away from it. I always have tried to remain as true as I can to how I started [on Instagram]. I don’t take captions that clients have sent me and copy and paste it. I won’t sign contracts anymore that say you have to post pictures that brands tell you to post.

You seem to manage a high-profile relationship with a bit of class and discretion. No mean feat these days. How does one go about it in the social media age?

Gigi: Thank you, I try. If I post what I think would be normal to post with your boyfriend then the comments are: ‘It’s extra’, ‘it’s forced’, ‘It’s fake’. And then if I don’t do enough then they’re like, ‘They’re not really together,’ so it’s kind of always a battle. But I do what feels true to me and I try to do it with integrity and all I can hope is that people would see it’s real. If they don’t then they’re wasting their energy on coming up with all this fake shit so that’s.. you know. I can’t take on the bad energy that people try to put on me at times. I try to just accept that I can’t have control over everyone’s opinion and I hope that when people meet me in real life they can have their own opinions and experience with me.

With an intense career and a long term relationship, how much do you get to spend with Bella these days?

Gigi: I guess, mostly at the farm [in California], which we love because we can just walk out without wearing makeup and without getting dressed up, and go ride our horses or just hang out and watch The Food Network. That’s when we feel the most normal, when it’s not being stuck in the apartment in New York because we can’t walk out the door without the media frenzy.

Girls must ask you all the time for career tips. What advice do you give to young models starting out?

Gigi: I would say just remain grateful and kind and pleasant to be around – there’s some girls after one season of walking every show, they already get a big head. What I’ve seen is that the girls who stick around are the ones that people genuinely like to be around.

Gigi Hadid: Style File

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At this point Bella comes over, proudly sporting a pair of bright white Balenciaga Triple S Trainers, and flops down on top of Gigi.

Bella: [Excited, pointing at her shoes] Oh my god I found them in London last week and they’re one size too big and they had to call the manager and in the end I had to buy them and they’re a little too big, but I had to!

When did you last see each other?

Gigi: I got back last night and when I walked in she was sleeping on the couch.

Bella: Sometimes I just fall asleep at her house when she’s gone so that I can wait for her when she wakes up in the morning.

Where do you each think you’ll be in five years?

Bella: [Points at Gigi] Fifteen children for this one. I’ll be single still.

And 15 horses, no doubt.

Gigi: For all the 15 children! [At this, Gigi heads off hugging everyone as she leaves.]

How do you feel about your epic new shoot for Vogue, Bella?

Bella: Oh my gosh I’m so excited and proud of this. It’s absolutely insane. I’m so happy we got to do that together. I know Gigi feels more uncomfortable with the nude part – and, obviously, I’m more comfortable with that – but it was so much fun. I can’t even believe it. It’s absolutely insane and I’m so lucky that I get to do this with Gigi, who’s not only my best friend but she’s amazing to be able to work with all the time.

It must be nice to work together. Supermodel success can sometimes feel quite lonely, right?

Bella: It’s very lonely, so to be able to call her and for her to understand what I’m going through and vice versa is so great.

What’s it been like to be the younger sister coming up behind Gigi?

Bella: At first, I was always really nervous. People wanted me to be perfect at my first shoot. Everybody has a couple of years to get into it, but I had to really have my A-game from the beginning. But over the years I’ve really had to teach myself. I’m so proud doing this for the new British Vogue, and with Gigi. It’s so fucking awesome! Last year I was travelling a lot to the point where I was going completely insane, but I always knew that I could come back and have my sister and my mum there for me. Like two nights ago I slept at Gigi’s house and waited till she got home to open the door for her at 6:30am. I always like to put in a little bit more effort just so we can see each other and have a moment.

You get on really well with Zayn too, don’t you?

Bella: Yeah absolutely – and I can always count on her. I guess Gigi, she’s Number One. [Laughing] I mean you’ve met her – she’s perfect! I’m just a child.

I know you get tired of the endless comparisons, but you have a very enthusiastic fan base don’t you?

Bella: Totally. It’s so weird to say that they’re my fans. It makes me laugh because I end up having crazy relationships with a lot of them, especially the ones that stand outside [my house] for hours. I end up just going outside and, when I used to smoke, having a cigarette with them, just sitting and talking. They’re such amazing people and whenever I’m having a hard time they’re always there.

Does it make you feel very connected to your generation as a whole?

Bella: Totally, I talk to a lot of them on social media. There’s a lot of girls who I have talked to for years now – given advice about their parents, about coming out, about work, about their love lives. If I wasn’t a model I’d be a therapist or something. I love talking to people and helping them. I feel people’s energy so intensely that it makes me feel sick [sometimes]. I get tired because I’m such an empath – but it makes me happy to help other people.

Does it make you extra-mindful about how you’re perceived? That you need to operate as a role model?

Bella: Completely, it’s the biggest part about all this. It’s not about a pretty face or about how many covers you get. It’s about people being respectful and having a great work ethic, and standing up for what they believe in. I’m so grateful for to be able to have a platform.

Okay, but let’s not forget that the Hadids have a reputation for being fireworks at a party as well...

Bella: [Coy] Do we?

Gigi came to the launch of our December issue last year and was the life and soul. You’re both complete social dynamos.

Bella: [Laughing] I think when I was 17, and for 2 years after, I definitely had a lot of fun. I loved going to parties, dancing with my friends and being a teenager. Then I turned 21 and I’m like such a fucking loser. I was completely sober on my 21st birthday. Can you believe that? My sister tried to have a shot with me and I literally was like, ‘Ugghh I can’t.’ I could take on all the boys before and now I’m like.. [pulls a prim face].

Bella Hadid… so old and wise

Bella: [Laughing] I’m like so old and wise. There’s not a lot of fun happening because I really love my bed. My girlfriends know that if they wanna see me they can come over. This year with work it was like, if I had a glass of wine I would be like… I mean the morning after I just looked horrific.

Horrific? As if.

Bella: Unmanageable. Early bedtimes now. So I don’t know if I’m the fun one. Gigi loves dancing, she’s like the cutest thing

Talk to me about boys.

Bella: Oh boys. Well I have a new favourite quote from Cher and it’s really major. [Picks up her phone and starts frantically searching.] Are you ready for the best quote? Okay then. Here we go. [Drops into a Cher voice]: “”My mom said to me, 'You know, sweetheart, you should settle down and marry a rich man.' I said, 'Mom, I am a rich man.'"

At this, Bella hoots with laughter and claps her hands.

Bella: I think it’s a perfect quote.

Read the full interview in the March issue of Vogue, out on newsstands now.